Circular swing



Sept. 19, 1933. W S 1,927,682

CIRCULAR SWING Filed Jan. 29, 1951 Ira 6722502 3 flfir/meafamkasPatented Sept. 19, 1933 P TE CIRCULAR swmc" l Arthur 0. Edwards,Minneapolis, Minn. 1.. Application January 29, 1931. ,SerialNo.,511,'959 i '5 Claims. 01. ziz -ss) I This invention relates toimprovements in devices known as merry-go-rounds, carousals, or circularswings, and has, among its objects, to provide a device so constructedthat the riders may not be injured by contact with the post about whichthe device operates; to provide a swinging structure, the swingingmotion of which with reference to the post is limited by a bumper meansadapted to prevent jars, incident to bumper action, being communicatedto the riders; to

so place the bumper means that the riders cannot possibly be injuredthereby; and to provide a sturdy construction which can be cheaplymanufactured. .15

of construction shown, as well as the broader ideas of whichtheillustrated embodiment is symbolic. ".Featuresand advantages of theinvention will appear in the description of the drawing forming a partof this application, and in said drawmg o Figure 1 is a verticalsectional elevation showing the bumper in action, and also showing thenormal position of the riding platform in dotted lines;

Figure 2 is a detail sectional elevation illustratingthe upper portionof the apparatus including the bumperring; o l I Figure 3 is a planillustrating one form of bumper ring construction, and connection;

Figure 4 is a plan section illustrating the bracket means for connectingthe platform elements; 35 Figure 5 is a plan view showing-a modifiedform of connection, between the bumper and the rods;

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5. showing a third modification ofthebumper-connecting means,.and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary vertical section illustrating a' modificationof the bumper construction.

Numeral 1 indicates a post, at the top of which is a cap 2 rotatably androckably associated therewith. The cap construction and its mode ofconnection is a feature of this inven tion. A plug 3 is telescopicallyengaged with Features of the invention include all'details 8 of the capengagesi This" projection 8 is 1101 low to provide a lubricant supplychamber 9. An. opening 10 permits introduction of grease or oil into thechamber, and the grease is delivered.

downwardly through opening 11 to lubricate the H surfaces (Sand 7., Thecap as. shown has the form of a hollow hemisphere having its open sidedownwardly faced, and has a flange 15" in theplane of its open side.This flange has a series of openings 16 through which hanger-rods- 17pass to extend below and support a riding platform. These rodshave heads18'engaging 30. circumscribes the bars 17' and is attached] thereto byclips13. V

A ,valuable feature .of this invention is. the

important featureof the inbumper means arranged at such level that theriders cannot possibly be injured there'byfand acting to prevent theplatform 28 fr'o m' coming close enough to the: post 1; during swingingmotions to injure, the riders, .and of performing the same function inregard to the hand rail 30. To this end, the bumper means is-connectedto the series .of. downwardly radiating Q rods at a point between thehand rail 30 and the cap 2 and in this case nearer the cap than the-handrail. Of course, the bumper may be placed at a lower level. This bumpermeans connects the rods ata' point intermediate of the .capand platform,andrit has herein the form ofa circular ring 40 havingintegral radiallyextending arms 41, each arm having terminally thereof clamping means :42surrounding the corresponding rods 17. It will 'be noted that, the

.arms 41 are perpendicular to, the rod, -but' .are

at an angle to the plane, of the ring so that the thrust communicatedbythe rod is transferred through the extension ll-and to the ring,

and thence to a companion bumper member43 p attached'to the post,.ordirectly to the post.

This bumper member 43 maybe rotatablyattached, although it isnotsopshownh In whatever manner it is made, it will be seen that when: thedeviee is swung to the position shown therewith.

' does in thiscase.

tensions which are integral with'the cap, and

in Figure 1,' the inner surface .of the ring engages the post (or anelement equivalent to 43) in a manner to prevent any engagement of theelements 30 or 28, or to prevent any such near engagement of theseelements with the post as would injure the riders. When the motion ofthe supporting structure is thus suddenly arrested by the bumper, thereis not a corresponding jarring effect at the platform, because of theresilient flexing action of that portion of the rods below the bumper.This is another val' uable feature. The elements 1'7 have the relativelylong portions: 46 which lie below the effect is maintained.

The term bumpermeans may or may not include two elements, one on thepost and one connected with the rods. If two are used, it is importantthat one of the elements connect the rods so that they move in unison. 7

As shown by the dotted line position'of Figure 1, the circular orpolygonal platform 28 which circumscribesthe post is'spac'ed aconsiderable distance from the post when the device is not in use, andthe bumper is so placedthat it cannot possibly injuriously contact arider, andthe resiliency of the rods absorbs shocks due to the impactsof the bumper. 'Proper action is obtained by having the rods rigidlyconnected. with the bumper so that they move inunison It is conceivablethat the bumper may form an integral part of the cap piece 2, as itvirtually The bumper may have exresiliency. The gist of the inventionisthe placement of the ring out of harms way, and above the platform sothat the rods extend below the ring and can flex. j

Another feature of the invention is the bracket structure of Figure 4,including a horizontally arranged portion 50 upon which the terminalportions of adjacent platform elements rest, and

to which they are secured by fastening devices 51 passing throughcorresponding openings in the horizontal portion 50. Each'bracket isprovided with a vertical portion 53 right-'angularly related to theportion 50' which has angularly related portions 54-55 corresponding tothe plan configuration of the platform. Against theseportions arearranged vertical guardelements '29 of the platform. A reinforcing web56 conthe bumper ring at a substantial distance above the platform is tobe sharply distinguished from the use of chains, ropes, and rods, not.

so connected because in devices heretofore known to me the bumper actionwas a jarring action and not a floating "or buoyant action.

- "This springing flexible floating action is due largely-herein to thearrangementof the bumper ring at a substantial distance above theplatform and adjacent the cap. I am aware that rods have been used butthey have not been connected together by the bumper means lying abovethe platform, nor have they extended below the bumper means at all.

In Figure 5 a modification of the connecting means between the ring andthe rods has been shown, this connection permitting slight verticalmotion of the connecting arms and increasing the buoyancy and lesseningthe jar. In this instance, the ring 40 is provided with radial lugs 60and each arm 41 is detachably connected to corresponding lug by ahorizontal pivoting element 62.

Figure 6 shows a modification in which the arms are pivoted for limitedhorizontal motion and has the advantage of modifying the circular motionof the device, and of thus modifying the sensory effect onthe riders. Inthis form of the invention, the; ring 40 has a circumferentialhorizontal flange, as in the first instance, and to this'flange eacharmil -is pivoted on a vertical pivot 63, so that it has slight motionin "opposite directions in a horizontal plane, the degree of motionbeing limited by the stop surfaces 64-65. 1

In Figure 7 the bumper'ring '70 is formed from sheet metal by stampingto provide a truncated conical annulus, to the outer side ,of whichannulus, the rods 17 are rigidly, or yieldably, attached by any suitablemeans 42. In this instance, the post is provided with a spoked wheel, aspart of the bumper means, and this wheel is generally designated bynumeral 43 "Therim has a flat periph'eralsurface 71 with which thesurface '72 of the annulus! '70lcontacts. The element l3 is rotatableupon the post 1, on ball bearings 73. The surface '72 engages flatlywith the fiat surface 71, to limit the rocking motion of the structurein exactly the same manner as previously described,

The bumper member 43' is shown as rotatably attached to'thepost and ;isheld in place by ring 43 held by 'setscrew 43.

I claim as my invention: 1

1. A device of the-class described. comprisin a post having a caprotatable and rockabl'e thereon, a ring below the post which is adaptedto support the riders, a'series-of suspension rods capable of fiexionand having their upper-portions attached to the cap and having theirlower portions attached to the ring, a bumper ring as a fulcrum for therods arranged adjacent the cap and relatively remotely from therider-ring and adapted to engage the post, and means con-' necting therods to the bumper ring, whereby relatively long lever-arm-like rodportions are provided between the bumper ring and the rider- .1305

ring to obtainspringy action of the rods'abou't the bumper ring as afulcrum, the sizes of the bumper ring being such as to limit rockingmotion in a manner to prevent contact between the rider-ring and thepost. A 2. A device of the "class describedcomprising a post, a ridingstructure rotatably and rockably mounted upon the post including ariding platform and a series ,of resilient suspension rods, and bumpermeans including a member carried by the post out of reach of the ridersand above the platform, and cooperable with the suspension rods to forma, fulcrumabout which resilient lever-like'action of-the rods cantake-place when'the structure is rocked. I, 7

3. A device of the class described comprising a post, a riding structurerotatablyand rockably arranged upon the post including a riding platformand a series of resilient suspension rods, bumper means including a ringsurrounding the post, means by which the ring is clamped to the rods,the said ring being so placed as to cooperate with the post to form afulcrum about which resilient lever-like action of the rods can takeplace, when the device is rocked or when rocked and rotated.

4. A device of the class describedcomprising a post, a riding structurerotatably and. rockably mounted upon the post including a ridingplatform and a series of resilient suspension roads, and bumper meansincluding a member rotatably mounted on the post out of reach of theriders and above the platform, and cooperating with said suspension rodsto form a fulcrum about which resilient lever-like action of the rodscan take place when the structure is rocked.

5. A device of the class described comprising; a post, a ridingstructure rotatably and rock-' ably mounted upon the post including ariding platform and a series of resilient suspension rods, and bumpermeans including a member rotatable upon the post above the platform andout of reach of the riders, and cooperating with f a ring carried bysaid suspension rods, in a'man-- ARTHUR O. EDWARDS.

